Comunisti, arte e cultura. Dal primo al secondo dopoguerra del Novecento

This study analyzes the relationship between left-wing political movements, art and culture during the 20th century, with a particular focus on revolutionary Russia and post-war Italy. It explores how political ideologies influenced artistic expressions and how art was used as a tool for propaganda, expression of national identity and social criticism. With regard to Russia, the text examines the evolution from artistic avant-gardes such as Suprematism and Constructivism, to the affirmation of Socialist Realism as the official aesthetic of the State. The role of movements and institutions in shaping the cultural landscape is discussed. With regard to Italy, the analysis focuses on the role of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) in promoting a "national-popular" culture and in the debate on realism in art and cinema. The complex relationship between the PCI and intellectuals, oscillating between attraction and control, is examined. The text also addresses broader themes such as the concept of engaged and non-engaged art, the relationship between form and content, and the dialectic between elite art and popular art. The role of tradition and folklore in the construction of a cultural and political identity is explored. Finally, the "Gramsci question" and the political use of his works by the PCI are analyzed, as well as the tensions between universalism and national specificity in culture.